If today, all troubles of the Kenyan political class were to be placed in a jar, stirred and shared out equally so that every politician gets a miniature portion of Deputy President William Ruto’s troubles, most people including supporters would definitely plead to have their original share back.
William Ruto! A name that no single day passes without being mentioned over the main stream and social media not because of the good privileges that swims with it but for the alleged troubles associated with.
William Ruto is today the most talked about politician in the country, be it positive or negative sentiments a title held for long by Mr Raila Odinga who in March agreed on a truce with President Uhuru Kenyatta. In fact Ruto is becoming a brand that no political post will sell without his name. This is eminent through his daily front page appearance on most newspaper dailies.
In the wake of recent Dam scandals and corruption in the country, the name William Ruto his ever inviting itself to the talks of many even where not necessary thanks to the escalating political wars against his 2022 political ambitions. Considered a front-runner for 2022, the DP has nonetheless many hurdles ahead of his ambitions.
To be Ruto, one has to have the energy, political know-how and a thick skin to stomach and surpass the challenges that comes with it. One also has to be fearless and brazen enough to confront the myriad thorns strewn one’s way, including an image problem of being branded corrupt.
Noting that the demands of his office as the President’s principal assistant cannot allow enough rest even for a day, Senator for Kericho Aaron Cheruiyot, describes the DP as one whose “energy levels are unrivaled in the current political constellation” a factor that gives him an edge over political rivals.
“Ruto has some serious image problems and widespread perception that he is corrupt something that is likely to weigh him down adversely with the Kenyan electorate at large. Hence, getting elected as president in 2022 is going to be an uphill task for Ruto,” observes Prof Anangwe, who teaches political science at University of Dodoma, Tanzania.
Indeed, the DP has not only been associated with previous and present scandals but has actually been arraigned in court over some of the cases. Barely a month old in office.
The DP has also faced directly or through companies associated with him several land court cases including the highly publicised famous ones, the Weston Hotel land,plus the 100 acres of land in the Rift Valley belonging to Adrian Muteshi. Ruto however withdrew his appeal against a High Court decision requiring him to pay Mr. Muteshi Sh5 million for illegally taking away his land.
These, and many more, are some of the fights that DP and his backers have to engage in almost daily. According to Mr Cheruiyot, this is the work of Ruto’s detractors who want portray the DP as losing ground in Kenya and whose political masters will be made known soon. For Ruto’s allies, he is simply being targeted because he is mtoto wa masikini (son of peasant), who has made in life from selling chicken by the roadside to a billionaire without the backing of a “dynasty”.
One the things that keeps Ruto going, according to allies, is that he never allows criticisms or negative innuendos to weigh him down. He is the typical believer in the common adage “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. And he can be swift at turning a perceived negative innuendo to a positive reference.
Soon or later, it is believed the troubles will be over and that the ‘Hustler’ nation will rise above Dynasty bars to redeem its damaged image.